Russell Westbrook is done. After 18 seasons, 27,716 career points, and one of the most polarizing careers in NBA history, the former MVP announced his retirement on Wednesday.
The retirement video was narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan and dropped on Westbrook’s own social media. The caption was simple: “Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over.”
The numbers, when you actually stop and look at them, are absurd. Westbrook finished with 10,351 career assists, fifth all-time. He earned nearly $350 million in NBA salary. He is the only player in 55 years to average a triple-double for an entire season, and he did it three separate times.
Now 37 years old, Westbrook came into the league in 2008 as the No. 4 overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics, who became the Oklahoma City Thunder later that same year. His run in OKC through 2019 defined the franchise. He made eight All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams, and won two scoring titles.
The MVP came in 2017, the year after Kevin Durant left for Golden State. Westbrook responded by averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. It was the most spiteful stat line in modern NBA history.
After OKC, the career got messy. Houston. Washington. The Clippers. The Lakers. Denver. Sacramento. Every stop came with the same questions about fit and shot selection and whether he could still play winning basketball.
Last season with the Kings, Westbrook averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. Those aren’t MVP numbers, but for a 36-year-old point guard who could still get to the rim at will, it was a respectable final chapter.
Here’s the truth about Westbrook that his critics never really got: he was one of the most exciting players of his generation. His fearlessness got him into trouble sometimes, but that same fearlessness is what made him play with a chip on his shoulder that no rival could match.
He never won a championship. That will hurt his all-time ranking discussions forever, and it’s the one thing his detractors will always throw in his face. Fair enough. Rings matter.
But the guys who played with him and against him will tell you something different. Westbrook competed every night. He never took a possession off. He was a nightmare to prepare for because his volume and physicality overwhelmed opponents in ways that don’t show up in efficiency stats.
The Hall of Fame vote isn’t going to be close. MVP, nine-time All-Star, career triple-double leader, all-time top-five assist man. He is a first-ballot lock.
The NBA is going to feel a little different without him. There are plenty of great point guards in the league right now, but nobody attacked the rim with the same reckless energy as Westbrook. He forced the game to adjust to him, not the other way around.
His legacy will always be argued about. That’s part of what made him great. Now it’s someone else’s turn to try to fill the space he leaves behind.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
